Veterans and their families now have access to free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training.

This initiative, funded by the Australian Government, was launched by the health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid Australia.

Announcing the official launch during Veterans’ Health Week, Acting CEO Ebony Whitehouse says the Mental Health Protect program reflects this year’s theme of ‘Keep connected’ in recognising the role these connections have in keeping the community safe.

“We know that the broader veteran community are often the first point of contact for veterans, and they will be first to recognise signs of mental health problems or psychological distress,” Whitehouse says.

“Making sure that they are equipped with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems and suicidal thoughts or behaviours will help to ensure no veterans fight their battle alone.”

Funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Mental Health Protect is a mental health literacy and suicide prevention training program available to members of the veteran and defence communities, at no cost to them.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide last month handed down its report to the Governor-General, which revealed the scale of the mental health crisis facing veterans and their communities.

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The report highlighted that over 20 per cent of former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members experience suicidal thoughts after their service – a staggering contrast to 3.3 per cent of the general population.

Ex-serving men are 26 per cent more likely to die by suicide compared to other Australian men, while ex-serving women are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as the broader Australian female population.

Whitehouse says that while many of the 122 recommendations of the Royal Commission are around structural issues and will take years to implement, immediate action is needed.

“There are urgent steps we can and must take now to support veterans and their families,” Whitehouse says.

“One of the most critical is equipping veterans and their communities with the tools to recognise signs and direct those they care for to the support they need.”

“This is where the Mental Health Protect program can provide a lifeline to support for veterans, ultimately aiming to save lives and improve the quality of life for those who have served.”

Much like traditional physical first aid courses, the program’s Mental Health First Aid training aims to arm veterans and their families with the skills to recognise and respond to signs of psychological distress and mental health crises.

Additionally, the program offers suicide first aid training in collaboration with global suicide prevention leader, LivingWorks. This initiative marks the first partnership between Mental Health First Aid and LivingWorks, combining expertise to improve mental health literacy, peer support, and suicide prevention within the veteran community.

Shayne Connell, Vice President of LivingWorks Australia, says this program builds on the decades-long traction Mental Health First Aid and LivingWorks have gained in working with veteran and defence personnel.

“Having the two flagship programs join forces is helping to support veterans and their communities in both early intervention and suicide prevention,” he says.

“By participating in this program, the broader veteran community becomes an essential part of the support network for the over half a million Australians who have served or are serving.”